Kevin A. Roberts
When Molly Douglass was 10, her family moved from Kentucky to the Middle East. She would go to school in the States and spend summers in Saudi Arabia, where she came to appreciate the country’s tradition of jewelry-making and its emphasis on handmade goods. Her father, an orthodontist, taught her to solder and encouraged her to tinker. As she earned her master of fine arts degree at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Douglass gravitated toward metalsmithing. She wrote her thesis on “the idea of body being the site for sculpture, the idea of wearables being an extension of form.” Today, the former Craft Alliance metal artist–in–residence creates works that are part sculpture and part jewelry—bold, extravagant adornments.
Describe your creative process.
I don’t do anything on a computer. I build everything by hand and usually start with a prototype. I sketch a bit, and then it becomes making a model in metal or leather. By the time a piece goes to production, I make several [versions]—I see what works and what doesn’t. I also often give pieces to friends and let them see how it feels.
What are you working on now?
I’m starting a series of sculptural rings. Again, that’s going to be a figuring-out process. I love things being handmade, but I’m also trying to figure out how to make things go a little faster. Moving into different materials is a way for me to cut time, too; metal is extremely time-intensive, and I can get across the ideas I think are important with other materials. I’m breaking into fashion accessories, like earrings and rings. They’re a way to make tiny sculpture that can stand on its own, yet still present well on the body.
Did you always want to make jewelry?
It was more making things. My jewelry process was born out of sculptural interest. My jewelry process is distilled from my larger forms. When I’m looking at jewelry, I’m looking at it through the eyes of a sculptor.
Who’s your favorite designer?
[Alexander] McQueen. I remember reading an article where he was talking about this inherent strength that goes along with femininity. I like pieces that are strong and powerful, but at the same time pass along that idea of femininity—that sort of push and pull between the masculine and the feminine.
What’s your ultimate goal?
It changes. If I could have my greatest wish, it’s to have my own design line. I would be fine if I get to produce work and do it well, and people enjoy the pieces. But I also think there’s a need for stronger accessories—people like the ostentatious.
